Estuarine demersal fish assemblage from a transition region between the tropics and the subtropics of the South Atlantic

Mauricio Hostim-Silva,Ana Carolina Dos Passos,Henry Louis Spach,Arthur Da Costa Lima,Junio Damasceno De Souza

doi:10.5007/2175-7925.2013v26n3p153

Mauricio Hostim-Silva, Ana Carolina Dos Passos + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2013v26n3p153

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Abstract

Estuarine demersal fish assemblage from a transition region between the tropics and the subtropics of the South Atlantic. The coastal state of Espírito Santo is in the central region of Brazil, where biological productivity is considered low. The objective of this work is to present a current list of demersal, estuarine fish from northern Espírito Santo. This work is based on the compilation of data collected monthly using trawl nets. The ichthyofauna comprises 57 species, within 10 orders and 32 families. The family Sciaenidae has the largest number of species (8), followed by Carangidae (4) and Gerreidae (4). This coincides with what has been found for the Brazilian coast and for the coast of the South Atlantic. It is important to note that the total species richness in the estuaries of northern Espírito Santo is lower than other estuaries of the South West Atlantic coast. Most of the species are widely distributed in the Western Atlantic. Only a small part (14%) of the fauna of northern Espírito Santo was evaluated in regards to risk of extinction, but conservation should be prioritized in the area due to overexploitation of species.

Highlights

Compilations of ichthyofauna from the South West Atlantic are important for two reasons: to improve our understanding of the geographical distribution and macro-ecological traits of estuarine fish from this region (BARLETTA; BLABER 2007) and to support conservation efforts (BARLETTA et al, 2010)
The state of Espírito Santo (18o22’S; 21o19’S), on the southeastern coast of Brazil, is in the tropicalsubtropical transition zone. It is located in the central region of the country (Espírito Santo and southern Bahia), and has low biological productivity
Other studies in Espírito Santo have focused on ichthyoplankton (COSER et al, 2007), demersal fish (PINHEIRO et al, 2011), and fish assemblages in tide pools (MACIEIRA; JOYEUX, 2011) and along sandy beaches (ANDRADE et al, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

Compilations of ichthyofauna from the South West Atlantic are important for two reasons: to improve our understanding of the geographical distribution and macro-ecological traits of estuarine fish from this region (BARLETTA; BLABER 2007) and to support conservation efforts (BARLETTA et al, 2010). The state of Espírito Santo (18o22’S; 21o19’S), on the southeastern coast of Brazil, is in the tropicalsubtropical transition zone. It is located in the central region of the country (Espírito Santo and southern Bahia), and has low biological productivity (typical of tropical regions). It possesses important estuaries, the number of studies in the literature about this region is low and needs to be increased (ANDRADETUBINO et al, 2008). Sarmento-Soares et al (2012) and Sarmento-Soares and Martins-Pinheiro (2012) sampled fish populations in the northern and southern basins of the state, including estuarine environments. Other studies in Espírito Santo have focused on ichthyoplankton (COSER et al, 2007), demersal fish (PINHEIRO et al, 2011), and fish assemblages in tide pools (MACIEIRA; JOYEUX, 2011) and along sandy beaches (ANDRADE et al, 2012)

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